Pivotally mounted oscillating breech member coupled with a ramactor mechanism



March 10, 1959 Filed June 28. 1955 ET AL OTALLY MOUNTED OSCILLA'IING BREECH MEMBER A R. MEYE R 2,876,680

COUPLED WITH A RAMACTOR MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Arthur R- M yem John E U'ElriE-n wjmwmaw ATTORNEYS March 10, 1959 PIVOTALLY MOUN COUPL Filed June 28, 1955 R. MEYER ETAL 2,876,680 TED oscnmwmc BREECH MEMBER ED WITH A RAMACTOR MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 \\\\\N& a $5.

Arthur R dml-u-l F. EIEJPiEu-L 9 :5 a/LOW ATTORNEYS March 10, 1959 A. R. MEYER ETAL 2,876,680

PIVOTALLY MOU D OSCILLATING BREECH MEMBER I COUPL AMACTOR MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ED HAR Filed June 28, 1955 Y mmvroa I APLhub'R- Ileyan John LE; U'Emian HTTOKNEYS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED OSCILLATIN G BREECH MEIhlBER COUPLED WITH A RAMACTOR MECH- AN M Arthur R. Meyer and John F. OBrien, Springfield, Mass, assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application June 28, 1955, Serial No. 518,699

4 Claims. (Cl. 89156) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes Without the payment of any royalty thereon.

Our invention relates to an automatic gun with twin barrels and more particularly to such a gun having an oscillating member with twin cartridge discharge chambers therein.

Modern guns, such as the revolver-type gun, are provided with a drum for supplying a cartridge to a single barrel for discharge therein responsive to each cycle of operation of a lightweight slidable actuator to achieve a high rate of discharge, but the increased speed of aircraft demands an even faster gun.

It is, therefore, an object of our invention to provide a gun having a pair of barrels, which are sequentially discharged, responsive to each cycle of operation of an actuator to secure an increased rate of discharge.

Another object of our invention is to provide such a gun with a pivotal breech member having a pair of chambers which are alternately alignable with alternate ones of the barrels responsive to the oscillation of the breech member.

An additional object of our invention is to provide such a gun with a device for simultaneously ramming a cartridge into one of the chambers and extracting a discharged cartridge case therefrom responsive to discharge of a cartridge in the gun.

Other aims and objects of our invention will appear from the following explanation thereof.

In carrying out our invention, a gun is provided with a A pair ofbarrels and a slidable actuator. A breech member, including a pair of chambers, is pivoted to alternately move the chambers between a common charging station and respective battery stations in axial alignment with corresponding ones of the barrels, during each cycle of the actuator.

The cartridges are cylindrical and the gun is provided with a device named a ramactor for ramming the cartridges into the chambers when in the charging station responsive to the actuator cycle. Cartridges entering the forward ends of the chambers push the cases of discharged cartridges out of the rearward ends of the chambers into anpinjection position from which they are displaced by anejector.

For a more complete understanding of our invention, reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings of one embodiment thereof in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a gun incorporating our invention;

Fig. 2 is a view along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view along line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view along line 4--4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view along line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig.v 6 is a view along line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the ramactor mechanism;

and Y Fig. 8 is a partially cross-sectioned top view showing 2,876,680 Patented Mar. 10, 1959 the cooperation between the spring-biased detents in the recoil unit and the mating notches in the actuator.

Accordingly, a gun 12 is provided with a'receiver 14 with a recoil unit 16 slidable therein. A recoil buffer 17 is operationally disposed between the recoil unit and the receiver. Recoil unit 16 includes twin barrels 18 and 20; and a pair of chambers 22 and 24, respectively corresponding to the barrels, are disposed in a breech member 26 which is pivoted at 28 in recoil unit 16. A cylindrical cartridge 29 is shown inclosed in chamber 22, in Figs. 1 and 3.

Recoil unit 16 includes a cylinder 30 with a double acting piston 32 slidably disposed therein. The forward and rearward ends of cylinder 30 respectively communicate with barrels 18 and 20 to receive gas from the discharge of cartridges 29 therein. I

An actuator 34 is slidingly disposed for longitudinal reciprocation in recoil unit 16 and includes surfaces 36 and 37 which are respectively engaged by piston 32 during forward and rearward movement thereof to energize the actuator for forward and rearward strokes. Buffers 38 and 39 are provided for respective engagement with surfaces 37 and 36 to resiliently limit the forward and rearward strokes of actuator 34.

A follower 42 depends from breech member 26 to be slidingly received by a cam path 40 in actuator 34 whereby such breech member is pivoted, during reciprocation of the actuator, to alternately move the chambers 22 and 24 between their common charging station 44 and their respective battery stations which are rearward of the corresponding ones of the barrels 18 and 20 and in axial alignment therewith. Cam path 40 includes branches .48 and 50 which are substantially L-shaped in configuration and which converge, as is best shown in Fig. 5, to form a path which is substantially of a parallelogram configuration. During the rearward stroke of actuator 34, follower 42 is slidingly engaged by branch 48 which is formed so that, during the initial travel of the actuator, breech member 26 is restrained from pivotal movement, whereby a cartridge 29 may be rammed, as hereinafter described, into chamber 24 which is disposed in charging station 44, and so that during the final portion of the rearward travel of the actuator such breech member is pivoted to move chamber 24 to the battery station thereof in alignment with barrel 20. Branch 50 is similarly formed so that, during the following forward stroke of actuator 34, chamber 22 is secured against displacement in charging station 44, while being charged, and is then moved to the battery station thereof in alignment with barrel 18.

Similar grooves 52 are provided along the initial portions of the branches 48 and 50 past the junctions of the branches, as is best shown in Fig. 5, and such grooves are arranged to slidingly receive a plunger 43 which is slidinglymounted in follower 42 and spring-biased to resiliently project from the end thereof. Thus, follower 42 is maintained in the engaged one of the branches to the ends of the strokes of actuator 34 when such plunger is received by thegroove 52 in the other one of the branches to maintain the follower in engagement therewith during the following stroke. The grooves 52 are terminated by ramp portions which retract plunger 43 into follower 42 after passing the junctions of the branches. Chamber 22 is shown in the battery station thereof in Figs. 1 and 3 and chamber 24 is in charging station 44 in Fig. 3. A pair of spring-biased detents 45 are disposed in recoil unit 16 for engagement with pairs of notches 46 and 47 in actuator 34 to prevent the forward and rearward rebound of actuator 34 when actuated respectively to the rearward and forward positions thereof.

A ramactor mechanism 54 disposed in recoil unit 16 includes a slidable member 56 and a lever 58 which is pivoted on a laterally disposed pin 60 and is linked at one end to the slidable member. The opposite end of lever 58 is bifurcated to extend around cylinder 30 and provided with rollers 64 for engagement with cams 66 in actuator 34. As is best shown in Fig. 6, cams 66 are substantially U-shaped in configuration and are vertically,

disposed in the longitudinal sides of actuator 34, and member 56 is so joined to lever 58 that such member is moved rearwardly in a ramming stroke and returned to normal forward position during both the rearward and forward movements of the actuator.

Slidable member 56 carries a projection 57 for propelling cylindrical cartridges 29 from a ramming position forward of charging station 44 and in axial alignment therewith into chambers 22 and 24 responsive to one cycle of operation of actuator 34. Simultaneously, the cases 70 of fired cartridges 29 in the chambers are respectively propelled therefrom by the rammed cartridges to an ejection position axially rearward of charging station 44. Projection 57 is pivotallymounted in member 56 on a transverse pin and is spring-biased so as to be engageably depressed by a ramming position cartridge in the return stroke of such member. A phantom case 70 is shown in the ejection position in Fig. 1.

A spring-biased ejector 72 is pivoted in recoil unit 16 for engagement with a cam 74 in actuator 34 to propel cases 70 from the ejection position responsive to operation of the actuator.

Thus, when chamber 22 is disposed in the battery station thereof rearwardly of barrel 18 and the cartridge therein is fired, the gases from the discharge enter such barrel to actuate piston 32 rearwardly against surface 37 and propel actuator 34 rearwardly in recoil unit 16. During such rearward stroke of actuator 34, follower 42 is guided along branch 48 past the junction thereof with branch 50 by the sliding disposition of plunger 43 in the groove 52. During the initial travel of actuator 34 past follower 42, breech member 26 is held against pivotal displacement so that chamber 22 is maintained in the battery station thereof and chamber 24 in charging station 44. However, during the final portion of the rearward stroke of actuator 34, breech member 26 is pivoted there by to move chamber 24 to the battery station thereof rearwardly of barrel 20 and chamber 22 to charging station 44. At the completion of the rearward stroke of actuator 34, follower 42 is received by the initial end of branch 50 and plunger 43 is pressed into the groove 52 therein to maintain the follower in engagement with such branch during the succeeding forward stroke of the actuator.

In the meantime, during the initial rearward travel of actuator 34 in recoil unit 16, cams 66 in the actuator cause the rollers 64 of ramactor mechanism 54 to be actuated upwardly and thereby move slidable member 56 forwardly so that projection 57 thereon rams a cartridge 29 disposed in the ramming position rearwardly into chamber 24 against the fired case therein to simultaneously eject such case to the ejection position and then member 56 is returned by such cams to normal forward position. During the final portion of the rearward movement of actuator 34, the cartridge 29 rammed into chamber 24 is carried thereby to the battery station thereof in alignment with barrel 20 when breech member 26 is pivotally actuated to the opposite position thereof. After case 70 is dispelled to the ejection position, cam 74 engages ejector 72 to pivot such ejector against such case for removal from gun 12.

When actuator 34- is in its rearward position, follower 42 is engaged in the initial end of branch 50 with plunger 43 received by the groove 52 therein and the cartridge 29 in the battery station of barrel 20 is discharged by a firing mechanism (not shown). Thereby, actuator 34 is energized by piston 32 for travel to the forward position thereof and the abovementioned sequences are repeated so that during a single operating cycle of gun 12, two cartridges 4 29 are discharged therein through alternate ones of the barrels.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail h'erein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claims are intended to include such variations.

We claim:

1. A gun comprising in combination, a recoil unit, twin barrels mounted to said recoil unit, an actuator slidingly disposed in said recoil unit for reciprocation in rearward and forward strokes, means for reciprocating said actuator when cartridges are fired alternately into said barrels, a breech member pivotally mounted for oscillation in said recoil unit contiguous to the rear ends of said barrels, a pair of cartridge chambers in said breech member, cooperating cam means on said actuator and said breech member for pivoting said breech member to move each one of said cartridge chambers between a common charging station and respective battery stations in line with corresponding ones of said barrels for the ultimate discharge of the cartridges thereinto during each reciprocation of said actuator, and a ramactor mechanism cammingly engaged to said actuator for ramming a cartridge from a ramming position in said recoil unit into each one of said cartridge chambers when disposed in the charging station.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein a pair of Ushaped cams are vertically disposed in said actuator and said ramactor mechanism includes a ramming member slidingly disposed in said recoil unit for longitudinal reciprocation, a projector pivotally mounted to said ramming member and spring-biased for projection therefrom to engage cartridges disposed in a ramming position in said recoil unit for positioning in said chambers when disposed in the charging station, a pivotal lever provided at one end with rollers slidingly received by said cams and connected at the other end to said ramming member for converting the vertical movement of said rollers in said cams to longitudinal movement of said ramming member during each of the forward and the rearward strokes of said actuator.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cooperating cam means includes a follower depending from said breech member and a cam path comprised of a pair of branches formed in said actuator to respectively engage said follower during the forward and rearward strokes of said actuator, said branches being substantially L-shaped in configuration for restraining pivotal movement of said breech member during initial travel of said actuator when said ramactor mechanism rams a cartridge into the cartridge chamber disposed in the charging station and to subsequently pivot said breech member. to move said charged cartridge chamber to the respective battery station thereof for ultimate discharge of the cartridge through the corresponding one of said barrels, a plunger slidingly mounted in said follower for springbiased projection therefrom, said branches being joined to form a path substantially of a parallelogram configuration, and grooves disposed in the initial portions of said branches for slidingly receiving said plunger to guide said follower past the junctions of said branches.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and including an ejector mounted to said recoil unit for pivotal engagement with a case moved to an ejection position by the cartridge rammed into the one of said cartridge chambers disposed in the charging station by said ramactor mechanism, and an arcuate wiper cam provided on said recoil unit for actuating said ejector against the case in the ejection position for removal from the gun during each of the forward and the rearward strokes of said actuator.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Murphy Ian. 15, 1957 6 Musgrave Jan. 15, 1957 Wassel Mar. 26, 1957 Kamp May 28, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Nov. 28, 1915 Great Britain Mar. 18, 1953 

